The Playworks Colorado Fundraising Board is a group of change-makers who believe in the power of play and are active ambassadors for Playworks. These playful professionals contribute their personal time to share the mission of Playworks: to improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play. Are you interested in joining the Playworks Colorado Fundraising Board? Check out this packet with information about board membership.
Trever Ackerman
Chief Marketing Officer
Fitness Connection USA
Currently the Chief Marketing Officer of Fitness Connection USA, Trever is a veteran of the Fitness, Health & Wellness industries bringing more than 20 years of experience to Playworks. He has been involved with the non-profit organization in a variety of capacities since 2007. His proven methodology of identifying opportunities for scalable and predictable revenue growth and differentiating brands through consumer and market insights have helped create category-leading brands throughout his career.
He is passionate about building high-performing teams, helping people move more on their terms, and providing opportunities to give back to our communities. Trever holds an MBA from Georgia State University and a BSBA from the University of Denver.
Tom Brinegar
Vice President & CFO
Peak Resources
Tom Brinegar is the Chief Financial Officer for PEAK Resources, Inc. and is responsible for management of all financial, administrative and operational functions at PEAK. PEAK is an elite systems integrator and technology solutions provider focused on the modern Enterprise Data Center and contemporary technology consumption models. Mr. Brinegar has been employed and a part-owner of PEAK since January 1, 1994. Prior to that time, he was employed at Capital Associates International in Boulder and Lakewood, CO holding a variety of positions including public and private equity syndications, fund management and contracts.
Mr. Brinegar is an alumnus of the Denver Metro Chamber Leadership Foundation programs including Leadership Denver, Colorado Experience and Access Denver. He is the Board Chair for B:CIVIC (https://www.bcivic.org/) . Additionally, Mr. Brinegar serves on the Board of Directors of Colorado Succeeds, serves as a Board Emeritus of PEBC (Public Education Business Coalition), serves on the Denver Metro Leadership Foundation board and is a member of the Playworks Colorado Board.
Mr. Brinegar attended the University of Colorado, Boulder where he received a Bachelor in Science in Finance. He is a native of Colorado and graduated high school from Grand Junction High School.
Dorian Brugger
Senior Vice President, Branch Banking Market Leader
U.S. Bank
Dorian is the Branch Banking Market Leader and Senior Vice President for Colorado & New Mexico at U.S. Bank. Dorian began her career with U.S. Bank 15 years ago as a teller in the downtown Denver Market and has held multiple roles within the branches, digital engagement team and now oversees 129 branches across two states, focusing on powering the potential of each customer that chooses U.S. Bank to join them on their financial journey.
Dorian graduated from the University of Colorado at Denver with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. Unlike many that graduate with a degree in this field, Dorian wanted to follow her passion in Human Rights and be involved with an NGO on social issues. U.S. Bank has allowed Dorian to remain involved in many nonprofits and community organizations that help to improve the community that she lives in. Dorian enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family in her free time.
Ariel Clay
Chief Marketing Officer
WellBiz Brands
Ariel Clay is Chief Marketing Officer for WellBiz Brands, a beauty and wellness franchise platform, where she leads digital and brand marketing, innovation, and revenue strategy for five franchise brands. Prior to WellBiz, Ariel held various marketing and strategy positions with Qdoba Restaurant Corporation and Vail Resorts. Ariel has a BS in advertising and an MBA from the University of Colorado. A mom of three young boys, Ariel sees the importance of Playworks’ mission every day, whether they are playing organized sports, skiing in the mountains or just playing in the backyard.
Liz Jeralds
Director of Community Development
Denver Broncos Football Club
As Director of Community Development, Liz works with community organizations and nonprofits to maximize the team’s impact through strategic programming and events, contributing to a philanthropic platform that earned the Denver Broncos national recognition as the 2022 ESPN Humanitarian Team of the Year. In her role, she leads and manages the strategic outreach of all Denver Broncos player engagement in the community and contributes to strategic planning, implementation and communication of the organization’s mission in the community.
In addition to her work with Playworks Colorado, Liz serves as an advisory member for Denver Broncos Charities, a member of the Denver Broncos Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, and regularly volunteers with the Denver Broncos Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver. She graduated from Cornell University in 2010 with a B.S. in Policy Analysis & Management and earned her M.Ed. in Sport Management in 2013 from the University of Texas-Austin. She grew up in New York and has lived in Denver since 2013, and enjoys exploring Denver with her husband, Blair, and golden retriever, Winston.
Tiffany Koptish
Performance Marketing Lead
Meta
Tiffany is a digital marketing expert with a broad skill set in performance marketing, influencer outreach and program development. Equipped with a strong background in technology, SaaS, digital media and consumer packaged goods. Tiffany works on the Facebook Reality Labs business driving growth for their Portal and Oculus products.
Tiffany has been with Playworks since 2016 helping grow the impact of healthy play in her community. She lives in Denver with her husband, two kids and three dogs. She is passionate about the interweb, international travel [28 countries & counting] and puppies.
Nicole Lonsway
Shareholder
Greenberg Traurig
Nicole Lonsway is a shareholder in Greenberg Traurig LLP’s Corporate Practice. Nicole focuses her practice on mergers and acquisitions and represents private equity sponsors, emerging companies and domestic and international corporate clients as acquirers and sellers. Nicole also regularly advises the portfolio companies of private equity clients in connection with strategic add-on acquisitions and ongoing corporate governance.
Nicole receiver her bachelor’s degree in English and French and her law degree, all from the University of Michigan. Nicole was also a member of the Division I field hockey team while at Michigan. She currently lives in Denver with her husband and two children and she is passionate about Playworks’ mission to foster healthy and productive play in all children. Nicole enjoys traveling, skiing with family and friends and watching her children’s various activities.
Dr. Bridgitt Mitchell
Director of Professional Development
National Association for the Education of Young Children
Dr. Bridgitt Mitchell brings more than 20 years of experience in Early Childhood Education. Her areas of passion and expertise include teacher training and preparation; social emotional development; strategy and innovation; and multicultural education.
She has served in diverse roles that include tenured faculty, Department Chair for Early Childhood Education, Assistant to the Secretary/Minority Health Liaison for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Director of Early Education Department with Denver Public Schools, and Sr. Director of Training and Technical Assistance with Zero to Three. Currently, she serves as the Director of Professional Development with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
Dr. Mitchell has authored several book chapters to include topics on bullying and the business of early childhood education.
She is also an advocate for underserved populations and committed to strengthening and building capacity within the early childhood system which is indicative of her service on the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Council for the Accreditation of Early Learning Programs. She actively lends her voice and expertise locally and serves on the board for Reach Out and Read Colorado and Playworks in Denver. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and the Colorado Springs (CO) Chapter of the Links, Incorporated.
Dr. Mitchell holds a BA in African and African American Studies, MA in Human Development and Family Life and MBA from the University of Kansas. She earned a Doctorate of Education in Higher Education and Adult Learning from Walden University. Additionally, she holds a graduate certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion from Cornell University.
Stephanie Syner
Project Manager II and Community Relations Coordinator
Ambulatory Care Operations
Denver Health
Stephanie Syner has worked in the community and government sector for over 20 years. Stephanie currently works for Denver Health in Ambulatory Care Services and Community Relations. She works to ensure our community has access to healthcare as we address the many health disparities within our
communities of color. She served as the Senior Outreach Director for Congresswoman Diana DeGette for 6 years. In this role, Stephanie worked with constituents, organizations, and community leaders from every sector to build more connected, informed, and stronger communities.
Outside of the public sector, her professional career has included consulting and campaigning in diverse communities that are most vulnerable to political or legislative change. Other areas of expertise include legislative relations, public policy, and policy analysis.
Stephanie earned her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of South Florida and Master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Denver. She has completed Latino Leadership Institute and Downtown Denver Leadership Academy. Stephanie proudly sits on the board of Stout Street Foundation, Playworks Colorado, and Denver County Cultural Council. She is a proud mom of two boys.
Yogesh Khadilkar
VP of Digital Transformation, Marketing, and Analytics
AAA
Over 15 years experience leading Growth and Operations Optimization efforts for Fortune 500 firms across North America, EU, APAC
J.D Power and David Ogilvy Award winner for excellence in Digital Transformation. 7-Figure Entrepreneur and Expert Coach on Leadership, Digital and Social Media Brand positioning. Tiktok & Instagram Influencer with obver 2MM followers.
Dad of two strong girls, Chef at home on the weekends! MBA Marketing, M.S. Industrial Engg.
Nicole Miller
Account Manager | Client Services
Delta Dental of Colorado
I’m excited to be joining the Playworks board. I grew up in San Diego, CA, my father served in the United States Navy for over 30 years, so we moved around a lot. I now call Colorado my home. I’ve been working at Delta Dental of Colorado for 20 years; our mission is to improve the oral health of the communities we serve. I love working with the community it helps me to get a better understanding of what I can do to help. I volunteer with various organizations though out the year and love working with the youth and the elderly, if I was to win the lottery tomorrow a big chunk of that money would be used to help our homeless youth, veterans and our elderly who are dealing with Alzheimer’s and Dementia. In my spare time I love baking, cooking, and spending time with my teenage daughter who will be graduating from high school next year. I’m looking forward to bringing my knowledge to Playworks to help contribute to their success.
If you are interested in learning more about the board, please contact Andrea Woolley at andrea.woolley@playworks.org or 720.259.1029.